Dante Bichette looks to get Rockies' 'swag' back at Coors Field

New hitting coach feels lineup can be potent at all spots

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When Dante Bichette walked to the plate at Coors Field, Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" greeted him. When he homered, he dropped the bat as if shocked.

One of the most popular Rockies' players ever is returning as a hitting instructor, and he's not bringing subtlety in his carry-on bag.

"We need to get our swag back," Bichette said as he drove through the Appalachian mountains to his Florida home following the winter meetings here. "We need to slug."

The Rockies weren't exactly a collection of Urkel's last season. But they weren't right. Part of it was health, the absence of two-time All-Star Troy Tulowitzki and veteran steady Todd Helton compromising the lineup. However, there was a feeling the team still underachieved under Carney Lansford, particularly on the road, where the Rockies scored just 272 runs, tied for last in baseball.

Lansford was a hard worker, but struggled to connect with some hitters. Some players viewed him as too abrasive. Bichette brings personality and a gift for teaching. He's spent much of his retirement over the last decade coaching kids from eight years old to top minor-league prospects, including his son Dante Jr., a slugger in the Yankees' farm system.

"Our guys are going to fall in love with Dante. He's a big Teddy bear that is passionate about hitting," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said "I believe he will establish relationships with our guys quickly.

Advertisement

"

Weiss recruited Bichette back to Coors Field. The two were teammates and remained in contact after they retired. While Bichette is remembered for his power, that's hardly why Weiss wanted him for this job.

Bichette understands the challenge of hitting on the road while playing half your games at altitude. He stresses the mental side of attacking the opposing pitcher.

"For me, Dante was special as a player, one of the best I played with. He was great with two strikes, and he was really, really good with runners in scoring position, because he took his at-bats with conviction and he was committed to a plan," Weiss explained. "If he can get these guys into his mind, he's going to have an impact."

Bichette has long been a student of hitting, belying his reputation as a free spirit with long hair, muscular arms and goofy baserunning mistakes. He would read Ted Williams' "Science of Hitting" before every spring training. To this day, he spends hour researching the topic. He stresses the importance of swing path, getting on the same plane as the ball.

He worked with Dante Jr.'s high school team a few years ago, and Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said he'd never seen a prep club hit with power like that after returning from a scouting trip.

Bichette wants no empathy for opposing pitchers at Coors Field.

"We want to get to a point where we have a lineup with no easy outs, that can have thump in almost every spot," Bichette said. "It's not going to be easy, I know that. But we have to stress that, where we are relentless, where pitchers don't want to come here. We are going to get after it. It's not what you do one day, but what you do everyday."

The Rockies won just 35 home games last season, their fewest in a non-strike season, despite hitting .306 at Coors Field. They were outhomered 118 to 100, a reflection of the Rockies' poor pitching, and also an offense that was good, but not intimidating.

Bichette wants intimidation to become a defining trait in the team's identity.

If the Rockies can't dominate at home, they aren't going to win. They've never never sniffed the playoffs without mauling opponents in Denver. But that's only part of the equation. Even if the Rockies flex their muscles on Blake Street, they must at least approach mediocrity on the road. The Rockies scored 214 more runs at home than in visiting parks last season, leaving them with no chance to win given their problems on the mound.

Bichette is considered the first Coors Field creation, his home-road splits costing him the National League MVP trophy in 1995. He led the league in hits (197), home runs (40), RBIs (128) and slugging percentage (.620), but finished second to the Reds' Barry Larkin in the voting because of his road numbers, (nine home runs, .473 slugging).

Bichette attempted to address the issue by bringing a pitching machine to throw curveballs in practice. He will employ a few different methods with the Rockies' hitters, doing more game-speed pitching in the batting cage, for one, while exposing them to more breaking pitches in practice.

"That's the one thing you still hear is how the ball breaks less at Coors Field, so it takes a few games to adjust on the road, especially after a long home stand," Bichette said. "By then, we are coming back home."

Weiss realizes the challenge, but doesn't want to make it a crutch. In this regard, he and Bichette are in sync.

"We will acknowledge it, confront it and move forward. It's not something we are going to be talking about all the time," Bichette said. "It's still baseball. They are going to try and bust you inside, then throw the next pitch away. We don't want to make this too complicated."

The reality of his position set in last week at his hotel suite here during the winter meetings. The Rockies' coaches were holed up for 16 hours a day, dissecting the roster, with Weiss expressing a clear desire of how he wanted the game played.

"I knew I wanted this job, but when I got in there it only reinforced how much I am looking forward to this," Bichette said. "I can't wait to get started."

Bill Geivett, the Rockies' director of major league operations, left the Opryland Resort impressed. He knew Bichette, but not like this.

"To sit there and listen to him talk about hitting at length, and offense, I was really, really impressed," Geivett said. "I hate to say it, but he was even better than I thought."

A few players have reached out to Bichette. He is tentatively planning on traveling to work out with Carlos Gonzalez and Tulowitzki. Spend even a few minutes with Bichette, and it's obvious this isn't a celebrity gig. He came back to the Rockies to make a difference. And he's bringing the sledgehammer with him.

"I want pitchers to be looking at the schedule worried about when they have to come here," Bichette said. "I want us to play with an edge and an attitude."

Panthers brace for rematch of epic '13 playoff battleAs is typical for high school coaches at this stage of the season, Boulder boys basketball leader Eric Eisenhard didn't waste much time celebrating a big win. Full Story

New coordinator pushes Buffs to work, play at level he expectsJim Leavitt has discovered this much about his new defense at Colorado: He has some talent with which to work, but his players need to put it in another gear. Full Story